wow. thats a lot to spend on a camera. if you don't know what camera to buy, you probably shouldn't be spending that much. i bought a Nikon D80 for 1000.00 and it is awesome. that would be my recommendation. get a really good mid grade camera then when you get in to it, get some lenses and accessories. if you want to go all out, Nikon makes some really good cameras and cannon has some really good top of the line products also. go use both and get a feel for what you like. i liked the Nikon so thats what i bought.

There is no single best product and you can burn your way through $3500 fairly easily. It will not be enough to buy a D3, and neither the D3 nor the D300 are available before November (and they'll be tough to find after November too, especially the D3). It will not be enough to buy professional grade lenses.

For a novice user, $3500 is a lot of money to invest in equipment. I'd be inclined to spend less until you have enough experience to know what you need without asking questions like this in BMW forums.

I'm a Nikon shooter, so I'll limit my recommendation to what I know. The prices I am citing are from B&H Photo. I'm risk averse when spending thousands of dollars, and buying from a solid retailer buys peace of mind.

I could burn through $2500 buying a D200 body ($1500), 18-70 AF-S DX mid-range zoom ($350), 70-300 AF-S VR tele zoom ($485), and an SB-600 flash ($185). That leaves $1000 for compact flash memory cards (the faster the better), a bag, a tripod and ballhead (and maybe arca plates and clamps), photo editing software (I use Lightroom and Photoshop CS3), filters, and other little gadgets. A D80 would save you a fair bit of money over the D200 at $875 for that body.

As a noob ... I would suggest in all honesty the Canon Rebel XTi ... reason being is that your learning ... and with any tech .. as time goes by better stuff will come out. With the Rebel XTi the body will cost like righ under $1000 ... this will give you plenty of money to buy some nice "L" series glass, filters, camera bag, tripod, tripod head (good tripods the heads are sold seprately), and some books to start learning with. The Rebel XTi will also provide you with enought room to grow for at least a year or two (depends on how hard core you want to get into it) and the quality of images are great! I'm still shooting with a Rebel XT and have no real issues with the camera.

Get the 40D + kit lens, then save the rest of the money while you learn technique. After a few months, the lenses you need (want) will become evident. If you can, get some books (Rick Sammon has a very enjoyable and readable guide to SLR photography) and some lessons. It's amazing what you can learn from others.

If you're brand new to SLR photography, then any entry level Canon or Nikon will do - even with kit lenses the pictures will blow away most compacts if proper technique is applied.

Don't listen to anyone that tells you to buy Nikon or Canon. Go to the store, play with each and see which one works best for you. I recommend Canon, but then I chose Canon because it worked best for me, but at the time I could have chosen either. Some how the Canon just felt better for me.

it's all about the lens, you don't need the best body in the world. good glass is what makes great pictures. get some "L" series.

+1,000,000. A lot of people buy into the hype that higher MP is always better...but unless you're going to blow the pictures up and put them on a billboard, it doesn't really matter. Lenses are the important part, expensive as well, and sadly most people over look them.

There is no single best product and you can burn your way through $3500 fairly easily. It will not be enough to buy a D3, and neither the D3 nor the D300 are available before November (and they'll be tough to find after November too, especially the D3). It will not be enough to buy professional grade lenses.

For a novice user, $3500 is a lot of money to invest in equipment. I'd be inclined to spend less until you have enough experience to know what you need without asking questions like this in BMW forums.

I'm a Nikon shooter, so I'll limit my recommendation to what I know. The prices I am citing are from B&H Photo. I'm risk averse when spending thousands of dollars, and buying from a solid retailer buys peace of mind.

I could burn through $2500 buying a D200 body ($1500), 18-70 AF-S DX mid-range zoom ($350), 70-300 AF-S VR tele zoom ($485), and an SB-600 flash ($185). That leaves $1000 for compact flash memory cards (the faster the better), a bag, a tripod and ballhead (and maybe arca plates and clamps), photo editing software (I use Lightroom and Photoshop CS3), filters, and other little gadgets. A D80 would save you a fair bit of money over the D200 at $875 for that body.

Okay, you seem to know your stuff really well. What would recommend me to do if I had about $800 to spend on a dSLR? Should I spend most of it on a camera, or should I spend some on another lense? Thanks for the help.

Okay, you seem to know your stuff really well. What would recommend me to do if I had about $800 to spend on a dSLR? Should I spend most of it on a camera, or should I spend some on another lense? Thanks for the help.

Thanks For $800, I'd be looking at the used market. Once again, I will limit myself to what I know, which is Nikon. The D70S is a solid body, and the 18-70 DX is a very good lens and will probably sell for around $300 on the used market. The combination of those two items will come very close to your price limit. If you have any extra, look for an SB-600 flash.

Okay, you seem to know your stuff really well. What would recommend me to do if I had about $800 to spend on a dSLR? Should I spend most of it on a camera, or should I spend some on another lense? Thanks for the help.

You'll be better served with the D80 or D40. The D70 is using older technology, and has numerous flaws that were corrected in the D80. The d80 is really an outstanding consumer grade camera. The d40 is an excellent alternative if you don't want to drop the dough on the D80.

Honestly, you're better served with the less expensive body and better lenses. For instance, getting the 12-24mm for $~650 used is a lot better use of your money than going from the d40 to the d80. As I've posted in numerous threads, I can get 99% of my "money" shots from a d40 and a kit lens. I use a D200 and some pricey glass because it ups my yield and lets me get some shots or sequences I just can't get with a lower end camera.

BUT, you don't need to worry about that right now! You need to work on the basics, and when you master everything a d40 or d80 can do, you'll be ready for the next step up, which will be 10x better than my d200, and half the price. And if you're using Nikon, you can reuse all your old lenses.

You'll be better served with the D80 or D40. The D70 is using older technology, and has numerous flaws that were corrected in the D80. The d80 is really an outstanding consumer grade camera. The d40 is an excellent alternative if you don't want to drop the dough on the D80.

Honestly, you're better served with the less expensive body and better lenses. For instance, getting the 12-24mm for $~650 used is a lot better use of your money than going from the d40 to the d80. As I've posted in numerous threads, I can get 99% of my "money" shots from a d40 and a kit lens. I use a D200 and some pricey glass because it ups my yield and lets me get some shots or sequences I just can't get with a lower end camera.

BUT, you don't need to worry about that right now! You need to work on the basics, and when you master everything a d40 or d80 can do, you'll be ready for the next step up, which will be 10x better than my d200, and half the price. And if you're using Nikon, you can reuse all your old lenses.

A D80 blows the stated budget. And a D70S is a more capable body than the D40.

1st decide on Canon, Nikon, Sony-Konica-Minolta, Pentax or ?. All equipment that follows will depend on this 1st decision (save for good tripod and pan-head).

A basic body and lens is all you need to start. Canon Rebel XTi is excellent. Save the rest for the lenses you will be wanting. A single lens can easily blow your $3500 budget. Most folks overspend on the body and underspend on the lens.